Man pulled to safety in two-hour rescue after falling down Newtonhill cliff

By Denny Andonova

February 18 2022, 9:12 am

The rescue helicopter was able to winch the stranded person from the sandbar. Image: Steve Brown/DC Thomson

An man in Aberdeenshire has been pulled to safety following a multi-agency rescue after he fell down a cliff near Newtonhill.

Rescue teams were called to the cliffs at around 8.30pm on Thursday night to come to the aid of a man who was trapped around half way down the cliff face.

A major operation with coastguard teams from Aberdeen, Stonehaven and Cruden Bay was then launched to bring the man back to safety.

A coastguard rescue helicopter from Inverness and the Stonehaven lifeboat also attended the scene along with ambulance crews to assist with the rescue mission.

After more than two hours of efforts, the man was pulled back up from the cliff rocks and passed on to the ambulance service for a check-up following the rescue near Newtonhill.

#Callout #Newtonhill A straightforward evening stroll in the village turned into a nightmare situation last night for a local man. A simple slip and tumble left him stranded in a precarious position – injured and stuck above a significant slope, his family did exactly the right thing and dialled #999 for Coastguard.Coastguard Rescue Teams from #Aberdeen and #Stonehaven were tasked to the scene alongside @RNLI Stonehaven Lifeboat and the @Scottish Ambulance Service. Once on scene with Coastguard Officers providing initial casualty care, the Coastguard Officer In Charge decided additional resources might be required to extract the casualty due to the tricky location. A 2nd rope rescue team from #CrudenBay and the Inverness Rescue Helicopter were also tasked to proceed and assist.Once stable, the casualty was lowered down to the beach on a stretcher and then lifted by the helicopter a short distance to the Bettridge Centre where Coastguard teams had cleared and established a landing site. The casualty was then transferred to an ambulance for onward transfer to hospital.This was a good example of co-operation and joint working between the various emergency services on scene leading to a successful rescue from a difficult situation .#SafetymessageEven familiar local walks can turn into a terrifying situation. Coastal paths are likely to be muddy, slippy and even icy in the present weather. Please take care around the coast, and if you do see someone in difficulty, don't hesitate to dial 999 and ask for the #Coastguard #999Coastguard #CG200📸 credit Chelsea Wilson

Posted by HM Coastguard – Aberdeen City & Shire on Friday, 18 February 2022

It is understood he had possibly suffered minor injuries from the fall, however the extent of them is not yet confirmed.

An Aberdeen coastguard spokesman said: “We got a call just before 8.30pm on Thursday, February 17, about a male who had fallen down on a bit of a slope at the cliff path near Newtonhill.

“We sent three coastguard rescue teams – from Aberdeen, Stonehaven and Cruden Bay, along with the Stonehaven lifeboat and the rescue helicopter from Inverness.

“We attended the scene, eventually winched him into the rescue helicopter and got him up to the ambulance service. All teams were stood down just after 11pm.”

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